Exploring Yosemite

A few weeks ago, our dear friends Jordan & Elise came for a visit! They suggested a trip to Yosemite, which we dared do in a day (it’s a 3.5 hour drive each way). We were a bit wiped out the next day, but it was definitely worth it! This place is beautiful!

Yosemite Valley. We spent a while driving (and walking) around the valley, looking at the mountains and waterfalls and generally marveling at the beauty.

The lower part of Yosemite Falls. Yosemite Falls in total is 2,425 feet tall. Lower Yosemite Falls is only 320 feet tall. There’s a trail that leads to the base, and the top, of Upper Yosemite Falls, but we weren’t up for a strenuous, 6 mile hike that day, so we stuck with the view of the lower falls.

Tunnel View – named because it’s at the exit of a tunnel. From here, you can see many of the famous Yosemite landmarks – Half Dome in the distance, El Capitan on the left, and Bridalveil Falls on the right. Beautiful.

The four of us at Tunnel View

After exploring the valley, we drove up Glacier Point Road, to Glacier Point, which overlooks Yosemite Valley from 7000 feet. One of my favorite parts of our day exploring Yosemite was that we got to see a lot of the park from different vantage points – we saw Yosemite Falls from the valley floor, from the base of it, and from atop Glacier Point.

There are more pictures here if you want to see more of Yosemite. I hope we find another chance to go back – I would love to hike to some of the other falls and see more of the park!

One Response to Exploring Yosemite

Yosemite was one of my favorite all-time vacations, only losing out as #1 because I was scared that bears were going to eat me while I was sleeping. The majestic beauty makes it like walking around in a dream that came alive… I’m jealous that you live so close!